THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release December 14, 1996
December 14, 1996
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
THE SECRETARY OF LABOR
THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT
SUBJECT: Steps to Increase Adoptions and Alternate
Permanent Placement for Waiting Children
in the Public Child Welfare System
During this Holiday Season, as we reflect on the importance of family in our own lives, let us remember the tens of thousands of our Nation's children in the public child welfare system who live without permanent and caring families. Foster care provides temporary shelter and relief for children who have been abused or neglected.
I am committed to giving the children waiting in our Nation's foster care system what every child in America deserves -- loving parents and a healthy, stable home. The goal for every child in our Nation's public welfare system is permanency in a safe and stable home, whether it be returning home, adoption, legal guardianship, or another permanent placement. While the great majority of children in foster care will return home, for about one in five, returning home is not an option, and they will need another home, one that is caring and safe. These children wait far too long -- typically over 3 years, but for many children much longer -- to be placed in permanent homes. Each year, State child welfare agencies secure homes for less than one-third of the children whose goal is adoption or an alternate permanent placement. I know we can do better.
I believe we should increase the number of children who are adopted or permanently placed from the public foster care system each year toward the goal of at least doubling that number by the year 2002. Returning home is not an option for about 100,000 of the over 450,000 children in the Nation's foster care system, yet only approximately 20,000 were adopted last year and approximately 7,000 were permanently placed in legal guardianships. While the number of adoptions each year has been constant for many years, I believe that by working with States to identify and break down barriers to permanent placements, setting annual numerical targets, rewarding successful performance, and raising public awareness, we can meet the target of at least 54,000 children adopted or permanently placed from the public foster care system by the year 2002.
Today, therefore, I direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with State and civic leaders, to report to me within 60 days on actions to be taken to move children more rapidly from foster care to permanent homes and at least to double, by the year 2002, the number of children in foster care who are adopted or permanently placed out of the public foster care system.
I. To increase the number of children who are adopted
or permanently placed each year, this report should
include, but should not necessarily be limited to,
recommendations in the following areas:
(a) Plans to work with States on setting and reaching
State specific numerical targets, using the
technical assistance of the Department of Health
and Human Services National Resource Centers to
make information on best practices available to
States and to engage community leaders, parents,
and the business and faith communities;
(b) Proposals to provide per child financial
incentives to States for increases in the
number of adoptions from the public welfare
system. Options considered should have little
to no net costs, as increases in the number of
adoptions from the public system will reduce
foster care costs, thereby offsetting much if
not all of the incentive payments;
(c) A proposal to ensure continued aggressive
implementation of the Multi-ethnic Placement
Act, as amended by the Inter-ethnic Adoption
Provision of the Small Business Job Protection
Act;
(d) Plans to compile and publish an annual
State-by-State report on success in meeting the
numerical targets; and
(e) Plans to recognize successful States.
II. To move children more rapidly from foster care to
permanent homes, the report shall also recommend
changes to Federal law and regulations and other
actions needed to emphasize the importance of
planning for permanency as soon as a child enters
the foster care system. The Secretary's report
should include, but should not necessarily be
limited to, recommendations in the following areas:
(a) Plans to provide States with funding to identify
barriers to permanency and to develop targeted
strategies to find permanent homes for children
who have been in foster care a particularly long
time;
(b) Proposals to shorten the period of time between
a child's placement in foster care and his or
her initial hearing at which a permanency
determination is made;
(c) A proposal to clarify that the purpose of
"dispositional hearings" is to plan for
permanency and, as appropriate, to consider
referrals for family mediation, termination of
parental rights, adoption, legal guardianship,
or other permanent placements;
(d) A proposal to clarify the "reasonable efforts"
requirement and other Federal policy as it
relates to permanency and safety;
(e) Plans to ensure that States give appropriate
weight to permanency planning by establishing
standards for securing permanency through
adoption or guardianship, once a decision has
been made that a child cannot be returned home;
and
(f) Plans to examine alternative permanency
arrangements, such as guardianship, when adoption
is not possible.
Last month, I signed a proclamation designating November as National Adoption Month -- a time to increase awareness about the tens of thousands of children waiting for families and to encourage all Americans to consider the rewards and responsibilities of adoption. However, adoption must be a national concern throughout the year. Therefore, I direct:
(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop
and lead a public awareness effort, including use of
public service announcements, print materials, and the
Internet;
(b) The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and
the Treasury in consultation with State, civic, and
private sector leaders to develop and disseminate
information about the new adoption tax credits and
other adoption benefits;
(c) The Secretaries of Labor and Commerce, in
consultation with State and civic leaders, to
identify and recognize companies in the private
sector with model policies to encourage and ease
adoption among employees; and
(d) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management
to direct all Federal agencies to provide information
and support to Federal employees who are prospective
adoptive parents.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
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